


revive, remember, and live to regret

by mat_omer



Series: Badlands AU [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, DOWN WITH THE REVOLUTION BOYS, Gen, It was never meant to be, Light Angst, The Badlands, and bbh's like.. his badlands speeches are so cool im obsessed with the badlands, and she gets like no recognition in fanfics it hurts her character is so cool, eret is godly i love her so much, i wrote this at 12:34 am on a fresh monday morning on my ipad. please help, im talking tommy watches techno almost get executed angst, or maybe he does get executed in this AU.. i dont know i dont know foreshadowing, techno actually has feelings?, techno is manipulative but borderline depressed so.. all grey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28555350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mat_omer/pseuds/mat_omer
Summary: His goal is just to get by- get up, eat, sleep at a reasonable time if he ever did pay attention to the time. Whatever kept him from going batshit- but when an old friend shows up at his door, saying he's got some news, life picks up fast- and he learns not to trust so easily.He hasn't seen anyone else in a while. Damn right, no one fucking visited him. No one wanted to fucking visit him. He was alone. Not lonely, not lonely, he couldn't be lonely, he had to not be lonely. Maybe he was lonely.For the ex-king its hard to find purpose after being used as a figurehead then dethroned, thrown away like trash, but its fine. They'll find a way, and getting an offer from an old enemy.. Doesn't sound too bad.The demons not scary, quite the contrary. He seems innocent, but through that child-like composure theres his brainy side, and damn does he have some great ideas.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Eret & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Eret/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Niki | Nihachu & Eret | Alastair, Technoblade/TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), and kinda manipulative but we ignore that aight, but also very much platonic and kinda enemy like but we ignore that, but make it platonic - Relationship
Series: Badlands AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092206
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	1. He'll love you, he said.

**Author's Note:**

> hey this is my first fic don't bully me please thanks (/j /pos)  
> anyways this takes place in technos version of canon, meaning sbi is related excluding techno (/lh) which shouldn't be canon but go off /s  
> also look we aren't gonna talk about how short the paragraphs are, on ipad they actually feel long dont bully me /hj  
> . . . means time skip  
> \- means fading into a memory or like a new section
> 
> TW: slight hints at abuse, yelling

His hands clamped around the mug, warm steam tickling the bottom of his chin. Eyes glued to the floor, he didn't notice the sudden knocks on the front door. He sighted softly, closing his eyes, finally alone, peaceful, quiet. The only thing that was missing was the heat, was the soft whistles of ghasts and the lava bubbling.. 

He glanced out the window, catching his reflection glaring back at him. He hadn't bothered to take care of himself, his long faint pink hair out, small, thin pieces falling over his face. A familiar scar laid vertically over his left eye, slightly offset, the other eye a bright rose. Normally, he would at least put an effort in to look at least presentable, maybe intimidating, but right now it didn't matter.   
He was thrown out of his haze by the loud knocks at the door again, repeating, followed by a voice. 

"Hey, Techno! You in there?"  
Of course, the one time he wanted to be alone. Automatically, his hands moved and set the mug softly on the table. Getting up, he walked to the door, rubbing his irritated eye. He swung the door open, met with a blonde man in a green overcoat, bucket hat lopsided as always. 

"It's early, Phil." He moved to the side, giving the older man room to walk in.

"You're never asleep- and I've got some news." He didn't hesitate to step in, the sound of his boots clanking on the hardwood filling the silence. 

Phil's hand immediately moved up to the brim of his striped hat, before perfect and bright, now dull. He pushed it back up. His eyes moved from corner to corner of the room, suddenly looking back at Techno.

"You have that robe of yours off for once."

"I-" He faltered, not being able to tell if it was lighthearted or aggressive, ".. I don't like wearing it much. After the festival." 

Their eyes met and for a second he could really see his friends concern. Phil just wanted to look out for him, clearly, but he never let him. It was kind of just.. Unspoken. An agreement between the two. 

He quickly looked away, averting his attention to the door, slowly pushing it back into place. The other man sighed before moving his bag from his shoulder and leaning it against the table, falling onto the couch. He flicked the lock to the side and heard the familiar _click_ as it moved into place, turning to face Phil, he took note of the heavy bag against the table- the man probably planned to stay. 

"You look comfortable."

How would he explain that wasn't on purpose- just something that happened to be. He didn't want to disappoint him, but blatant lying wouldn't help anything. 

"I didn't think anyone'd be coming." 

Phil took a deep breath. 

His slow steps made only quiet noises as he made his way beside the man. He just wished he could fall into his hands, explain how sick he was of it all, just wished he could go back to L'manburg, see his friends without being scared for his life. See Tubbo, Tommy, Wilbur- but he couldn't see Wilbur. He couldn't see Wilbur and it was Phil's fault. He couldn't see the man closest to a brother to him and it was all-   
He sat next to Phil. It would be so much easier to joke like before, talk about timeless things like swords and kids and names and sparring..

Phil opened his mouth to speak and Techno's eyes widened.  
  
"Tommy's been exiled."

~~\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

The wind rustled the grass. He rested his shoulder on the tree beside him, the bark rough on his skin. The field they were in looked empty, like it was untouched by anything for years. Overgrown faded grass stretched out for what looked like miles, a wildflower here and there and beehives the kids had taken a liking to. Techno could see the other three just fine, running around and passing time by doing small, insignificant things. Wilbur was older than him, the oldest of the bunch, but honestly rarely ever acted like it. He was always messing around, making fun of Tommy or acting like his babysitter. "Brother things" you could call them, though he wouldn't know.

It wasn't that they never _wanted_ to include him. He just never thought of being included, liked staying far away from the other few and doing his own thing. He liked being able to blend into the shadows, watch from a distance. Now, though, doing exactly that as they fly kites and hunt for bees.. He wanted something like that. Friends, a family, but he didn't have it. They were the closest thing and they rarely talked to him, much less preferred his company. 

The kids _looked_ innocent, seemed like it for the most part, but they were full of a lot of surprises. There was Tommy, practically a devil. Looked up to Techno like some mentor, he hated it, especially since the kid couldn't be quiet for two seconds without getting pissed or breaking something. Then there was Tubbo, the timid little guy. The two had a lot in common, both eleven, both blonde, same interests, personalities that bounced off each other, unlike whatever him and Wilbur had going on. 

Wilbur was nearing eighteen, Techno having just hit fifteen, somehow the same height as him. While Wil's brothers didn't hate when he showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, Wil had a.. Different attitude, you could say. Almost like they were rivals, which he never really went along with. It was all friendly jokes, of course.

He never actually thought about if he was serious.

He noticed one of the younger ones in the group- he could barely differentiate between Tommy and Tubbo, (the two had started matching clothes) glance at him, pointing and saying something. Someone else was with them- blonde hair, a black overcoat and a dark green turtleneck on under. If they were leaving he should go with them. He used his hand to push off the tree, checking either side for mobs, before running up to the group, ignoring the itching at his ankles.

"Techno!" Tommy exclaimed, reaching his hands out in pure joy and excitement. 

"Hi- maybe- don't do tha-" The kid hugged him around the stomach. "okay." He set his hand on the kids head.   
He looked up, now realizing the man in the black overcoat was probably their dad. Of course, only Techno would almost forget how a family worked. 

"Morning, Techno."   
"Morning, Wil." He responded, almost mockingly. Tommy let go and hopefully looked up at him. 

"Are we gonna practice today?"  
"We don't ever really practice, Tom." He ruffled the kids hair.

"Can you at least teach me something?"   
"When you're thirteen."

"Thirteen? Thats like.." He seemed to be doing some hard mental math. ".. Two years! I can't wait two years to learn to fling a sword around!"   
"How about sixteen?"  
"Nononononono I take it back I take it back-"  
Wilbur chuckled and Techno smiled lightly. Tommy's panicking seemed so genuine. 

~~\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

Had he heard him right? His hand reached for the mug he had put on the table, holding it up to his face. Phil's eyes followed, watching as he took a hesitant sip. Techno set the cup back down, exhaling slow through his nose, closing his eyes. 

"Whats do you mean, 'exiled'?" He asked, tilting his head lightly to the man on the left of him, opening his eyes. 

"Kicked out of L'manburg. Well- in Dream's words, 'the whole server', but just where people.. haven't been." 

That snarky son of a-

"No way that's all that happened. Tommy had to have done something."

Phil went quiet. Techno felt himself almost fuming with rage. Obviously, it was the damned server admin- He couldn't leave that family alone for two seconds if he tried, even Techno had to put up with him once or twice a month! He grabbed his cup with shaky hands and took a bitter gulp, almost to avoid conversation. He pulled up his hand to wipe his mouth, getting up. 

"What're you-"

"I'm going to see him and you aren't gonna stop me, Phil." 

".. I'm not your dad, Techno. Do what you want." 

He made his way over to the small closet by his door. His sword, mask, crown, and robe laid there, untouched for what had felt like the past year. He grabbed the sword slowly, turning it over in his hand and acknowledging how heavy it was. Then there was the mask and robe. 

He glanced at the red fabric, and reaching his hand out he held it between his fingers, feeling the grainy texture. He picked it up with both his hands and wrapped it hesitantly around his shoulders, the fur stroking the sides of his neck. Before he knew it the crown was in his hand, and he was staring it down, almost arguing with himself. It wouldn't hurt to throw it on just this once, but it was stupid. It was the only thing that had kept him clung to sanity. He couldn't lose it, he threw it back into the closet, grabbing the mask and pulling his hair up to put it on, putting it in a rather messy ponytail in the process. 

  
"You want me to come with?"

"No, actually, I want you to stay in the house while a blizzard tears it down." 

Phil chuckled, getting up within seconds and stepping into his shoes. Techno smiled softly, opening the door and watching him walk out first, his steps crunching in the snow. He followed, shutting the door behind him. 

The cold hit him like a wave, the white reflecting the sun's rays that managed to pierce through the blanket of clouds. He pulled his arm up to shade his eyes, sticking behind Phil. 

. . .   
  


"Tommy's gonna love you." Phil said, after a long silence between the two. 

"You sure?"

"He hasn't been getting visitors-.. lately.. not just much, really."

"Don't you visit him? You come to see me all the time." 

Phil didn't respond. He managed to make time for some kid but not for his own son? Something about that didn't sit right with him. 

. . . 

"There's this new guy on the server. Names Ranboo, apparently Fundy or someone met him in Hypixel, his name started spreading around there. Not the best fighter- but, he tries- that the point." 

"What's the Ranboo guy got anything to do-"

"You know how I didn't really say what Tommy did to get exiled? Yeah-.. He griefed George's house. Ranboo helps out. Great first introduction to the server,"

Techno stifled his laugh. 

"right? Yeah, and- TECHNO THERES A FUCKING ZOMBIE RIGHT BEHIND-"

. . . 

They finally came to a clearing through all the thick forest. Techno noticed a purple glow in the distance, a portal. That was a sign someone had been there. He glanced at Phil then back at the portal. The sun had set and was slipping right under the horizon. He looked around, a campsite catching his eye. A familiar face, and it wasn't Tommy's.

He resisted the strong urge to deck the man as he walked toward them. 

"Evening, Techno."

"Evening." He almost spat at him. 

He had his hands behind his back, the small bit of his mouth peaking out under his mask smug as could be. Lime green hoodie still on despite the fact that they were out of the snow biome. Sword barely visible, dragging on the floor behind him. 

The server admin himself, Dream. 

The two weren't on very good terms if you really wanted to simplify. Techno thought over the idea that Phil had led him to Dream on purpose- no. He wasn't that kind of man. At least he didn't think so. Techno was too focused thinking over why he was staring down his enemy when someone else was supposed to be there that he didn't notice someone else walk up, dirty blonde hair. Tommy. He had bruises on his face and arms, faint but still there. His shirt had holes in it, pants wrinkled and dirty. He hesitantly took a step towards them, then a couple more in almost a run. 

Silence, complete silence. The last time Techno had seen Tommy was when he'd almost killed him. Set two withers on him and blown up the nation him and his older brother had worked so hard to build, to form. He didn't know what he expected.   
"What the fuck are you doing here, Technoblade- you- I don't want to see your fucking-" 

"Tommy-"

"You betrayed us! You betrayed me, fucking- Wilbur, Tubbo- you know what you did? You fucking worked-.. Worked against us, didn't you? Laughed about how fucking stupid we have to be, yeah? You ruined it for us, Technoblade, then went and ran off to save yourself!" 

He took a second to process everything Tommy had said. The kid was now panting, face a burning red. His normally bright blue eyes were dull, a muted turquoise. Why hadn't he thought of staying with him- helping him, maybe, instead of doing what he did? 

"I know what I did-"

"So why don't you go and apologize? Do something about it, yeah? Don't stand there like you're all innocent or some shit- not to mention the withers. You didn't even come to fucking visit Ghostbur- you didn't do shit for us. For me." 

"I'm sorry."


	2. Determined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hii thanks for coming back or staying if ur new !!  
> filler chapter time weewoo expect eret chapter possibly tomorrow ?? not gonna lie i havent started editing so hhh panik

"No- no. You hold the sword like-" he grabbed Tommy's wrist softly, adjusting it. "like that. It makes it easier to defend and attack. If I'm holding it like this I can't do anything." He gestured, along with his words.

They had found a practice spot, a clearing in the trees. The sunlight poured in through random chunks where the trees didn't shade them, the beige concrete floor reinforced as could be. Tommy's dad had adjusted it and built some add-ons for them, it was a pretty place as well. He'd liked Techno when he'd met him, letting him stay over a lot more out of what seemed like a mix of concern and pity. 

"So- how the fuck- right, so- I hold it like this?"

"Yes."

Tommy hadn't really started taking sword fighting seriously until around fifteen. You couldn't really say he'd matured then, he was exactly like he was as a kid, just deeper voice and a hell of a ton louder. Not to mention the cursing.

"Okay, okay, yeah- I got it, okay."

"So your hands aren't always gonna be on the base of the sword- this is why I wanted you to wear the gloves." 

"I'm not wearing the fucking gloves, Technoblade. They look stupid." Techno sighed.

"Fine- okay, so. We'll start with defense, that's important. Your hands aren't always gonna be down there, sometimes you'll turn the sword to the side and hold it-" he tilted his sword to the side and moved his hand closer to the end, on the sharp part. He noticed the kids dad take a seat on the wooden bench beside them. "-hold it like this. That's if you know exactly where the other person is aiming. Then you'd move it to cover that place."

Tommy moved his hand over, twisting his sword. He seemed actually interested for once, quiet as well, trying to copy the pink-haired mans moves to a T, fixing mistakes as fast as he could. 

"Am I holding it right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever feels comfortable, as long as you're able to block any upfront attacks." 

"Okay, okay."

They practiced until the sun set behind the trees, until Tommy's dad had to hang up newly-lit torches. Only after the older man got tired did they decide to go back home, Tommy asking Techno about duels and fights. The kid seemed really interested- he put an effort in as well, agreeing to wear armor for once if they ever sparred. He was fascinated by the idea of visiting Hypixel, one of the public servers, making a disappointed noise when Techno explained that you had to have permission. He made a mental note to take him one day. 

Hopefully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mainly just made this to show their weird friend-mentor-teacher type friendship brother thing so yeye  
> i hc that technos hyperfixated on swords and thats where his fighting skills came from so that explains his random infodumps on movements  
> this was supposed to be in chapter 1 but it was getting hella long so uhhhh yeah  
> ive been doing so many character studies im actually going to explode but like hey theyre all cool so im not even mad


	3. Instincts and emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A guilt-tripped king seeks help from a friend. Through weeks of insomnia and regret, they find a place to stay and someone makes an offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM GOING TO START RECOMMENDING SONGS TO PLAY IN THE BACK OF EACH CHAPTER BECAUSE HOLY IT IMPROVES THE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH  
> i wrote this listening to "home" in the undertale OST and tried to get it matching with the flow so I feel like it matches eret trying to keep happy or present happy while being eaten alive by guilt so play that song on loop in the back  
> KEEP IN MIND THESE CHAPTERS HAVE LIKE A COUPLE HOURS BETWEEN THEM !! SO UM EXPLAINS WHY PHIL ISNT AT TECHNOS  
> inventories work weird but basically, everyone has a chest that belongs to them and it has all their belongings and they can like summon them, if ur chest gets broken wELL SHIT THAT SOUNDS LIKE A YOU PROBLEM BUD (only the owner can open those chests)  
> i absolutely downed this. i wrote most of it over like a month then went fuck it, drank a whole mug of coffee and speedran this shit. i hate coffee. i dont know why i did that

The town was silent, no more noisy crowds roaming through, no more busy pathways. They were on autopilot, taking slow steps, not bothering to look around, stare fixated on the dark wood. The king wouldn't have been allowed on these grounds any less than a couple of months ago, it hurt to think about it, made them almost recoil in embarrassment and disgust. Ex-king, you could say. They were still disliked here, even the ghost version of one of the men they'd killed that had forgotten everything about them still hated them. Maybe he wouldn't be a ghost, be _dead_ , if they had just taken a moment to realize, slow down, stay loyal-

They pulled their hand up to massage their suddenly aching forehead. It wasn't their fault, that's what Phil said, what Tubbo admitted to him once. It wasn't. It was a long time ago, it was the past. They took a second to ground themselves, hear their rhythmic steps clanking on the wood, feel the humid air cling to their skin, the residue coating their fingertips. Their hand dropped back to its spot at their side. 

No one really came out of their homes anymore, probably Phil occasionally "taking care of some business" (it would've just been easier to say he was heading to Technos, everyone knew), the most people had shown up outside was the court meetings of the past few days, and people hadn't bothered to take them seriously. Now here they were. A sarcastic smirk appeared on their face, of course only Tommy would manage to get himself exiled. The light of the place, the vice president. He hadn't deserved that, but speaking out about it could just land them in the same place as him. The president was really starting to act like-

They shook their head. No, they weren't thinking like that. Tubbo, the calm, nice, small sixteen-year-old was nothing like the dictator the past president had been, he was forced into it, didn't even seem to light up at anything anymore. They shouldn't be afraid to share an opinion, of course, it was just because they were used to the treatment before. They pulled off the sunglasses that had been hanging on their shirt and put them on.

It was uncomfortable back at the castle, lonely, quiet, and here wasn't any better. The sun warming their skin and cooling water was great, but there was still the nighttime and the crater beneath them. Everything balanced out, the good balanced the bad, but now that they had overturned that it felt just.. Wrong. Nothing was there to give them that rush anymore, that moment of euphoria. 

"Eret?" A quiet voice asked. Their gaze lifted to a pale girl with blonde hair, a grey crop-top, black jeans, and a brown jacket on. She looked happy, disappointed, and disoriented all at once. Overwhelmed. 

She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around them, emotions heavy despite not seeing each other for multiple weeks. They returned the hug, the two quietly thinking about what to say, not loosening the grip on the other for even a millisecond. After a long silence, the girl slowly moved off, Eret hesitantly letting her go. 

"Where've you been? I was scared you were gone like Wil-" Her voice wavered. "I-I know you fought on our side during the war, but then you got dethroned, and then all of this... I don't..." Her voice faded, a small, choked back sob escaping her mouth. 

"Listen, listen to me, Niki- hey, it's okay, it's fine. You're okay." They put a hand on her shoulder, thumb moving in slight circles. "I'm here. You're okay- let's- let's get a place to stay for the night."

. . . 

The door slid open slightly, a blue eye and blonde hair peeking through, hesitantly making themselves visible. 

"Who's-... Oh. You two." 

"Hi, Phil. Is- is it okay if we stay the night?" Eret asked, confident they were going to get a yes. 

"I kind of.." He glanced behind him before continuing in a lower tone. "I kind of have a guest over. Maybe come back tomorrow, yeah?" 

Their brows pushed together in confusion. He was normally willing to help whoever at whatever cost, and if he did have anyone over it would be someone normally in L'manburg already, so why was he so scared to just let two people in?

"If you don't mind me asking, who?"

"It wouldn't really matter, Eret." 

"Is it Techno?"

"I'm not stupid enough to keep an outlaw in my house," He said, a disappointed smile forming on his lips. 

"Who then? Tubbo? Ghostbur?-" Niki looked confused. "-Tommy?.. Ranboo? Fundy? Bad?-" His composure wavered, hand quickly moving behind the door again. 

"Eret, let it go. Sorry, Phil. We'll find somewhere else." Niki chimed in, about to step away. The man at the door sighed. 

"Give me a second." He said, in almost a mumble, shutting the door lightly. 

The corners of Niki's mouth lifted, looking up at Eret beside her. A moment passed before the door opened again. They stepped inside as fast as they could, almost forgetting she was there, turning back to her as an afterthought. She exhaled through her nose dissapointedly, following. Phil shut the door behind the two, not looking at either, walking back to the living room. Eret stepped out of their shoes trailing behind him, a hand suddenly grabbing his forearm. 

"Seriously," Niki said, almost scowling, softly letting him go. "you're treating him like an enemy."

They inhaled deeply. She wasn't wrong, they didn't trust Phil one bit, but maybe they needed to stop being stubborn for once. A sharp exhale escaped their lips, they nodded slowly. 

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. Got it." 

Phil eventually came back and led the two to a room they could share, Eret deciding they'd sleep on the floor and Niki could take the bed. The concrete was uncomfortable even after all the layers of blankets, cold and clammy. They tossed and turned until they were too exhausted and sore to move anymore.

Avoiding sleep would be so much better, but now their eyelids were too heavy to move and their body felt like it was holding the weight of the world. 

~~\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

Their clothes stuck to their skin uncomfortably, itching at every crevice. They were really doing this, huh? Caving in. Their hand moved, tracing the rough walls as they made their way up the stairs, the few behind them talking to each other excitedly. No, no, it was what they had to do. Stay neutral. 

The pathway led to an open doorway, a room. Four chests, signs placed in a rushed manner on them, names scribbled on. Almost fully dark except for the entrance of the stairway they had just walked through. 

"This is the final room. The final control room."

"Aww, Eret. You didn't have to!" Wilburs arm wrapped around their shoulder, glancing at the chests and noticing a button in the center of the room. They looked away from the man beside them, eyes stinging and fists balling up.

"There's a button here- what's the button for?" He asked, almost jokingly threatening to push it. 

Fundy opened one of the chests. 

"There's nothing in here." He said, a discouraged expression falling on his face.

"Tommy, don't-" Wilbur began, as the kid looked around before lifting up his foot. 

Tommy's foot stepped on the button. A moment of silence, and then a sudden _click_. A part of the wall opened up.

They moved against the wall, watching as Wilbur's excited expression faded to confusion, then horror as a sword appeared through his back. Watched as their leader fell to the floor and turned to ash before their very eyes. Tommy stumbled back in fear, unintelligible yells for help echoing in the small room, falling back and screaming at Dream to spare him his life. 

"Eret-? How could you-" Tubbo started. 

"Down with the revolution, boys. It was never meant to be." They said, a heartless smile forming on their lips. Sapnap's sword sliced through the poor kid's body. He fell limp, disappointed expression still painted on his face. 

They looked around the room, the bodies of the four littering the floor. Vivid red blood sprayed across the walls, bloody swords and armor. A part of them was proud, this was what was supposed to happen.

The excitement faded. The smell caught up to them, the red. The people, their lives. One life down.

Two to go. 

~~\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

They sat up faster than they could process, colors dancing in front of their eyes. They were panting, submerged in a cold sweat, chest in agonizing pain. The palms of their hands felt like they were freezing over on the hard concrete. Their throat felt like it was swollen shut, their breathing getting more ragged by the second. 

Beside them, Niki was fast asleep, her soft breathing calming them down. Their eye stung. A smell tickled the tip of their nose. A dream, that's all it was. A dream. The images of the blood, Tommy's screams, Wilbur's body... 

Their hand moved above their chest. Their heart was racing. Something trickled down their cheek. They could hear frantic steps in the hallway, a figure walking past their doorway before suddenly turning back around into the room.

"What happened?" He asked.

They tried to speak but just felt their throat closing up. They pulled up their elbow and coughed into it. 

"Right- okay... I thought someone was here. C'mon-" He put an arm under their armpit, pulling them up. They got to their feet and stumbled, leaning on the man for stability. "-you seem tired. How much did you sleep?" 

They couldn't answer that if they tried. It had felt like an eternity and just a second all at once, and thinking back on it didn't help. 

"I... I don't know." Their voice was raspy and broken. 

Phil hummed something in acknowledgment, slowly leading them over to the living room. They steadily sat down. 

"How about you sleep here for tonight? I'll be right over there." Phil pointed to a bed on the other side of the room. 

"Mhm." 

"You need some water?"

"Please." 

Eret closed their eyes as Phil walked over to the kitchen, exhaling through their nose, trying to ground themselves just like they had before. There was no smell. No blood. They were safe. Someone was here. Someone who _trusted_ them. 

"Here you go," He sat beside them and handed them a cup. Eret's hands wrapped around it, consciously making a note to grab the handle, hovering it above their lap. "how about you tell me about that dream of yours?" His hands interlocked in his lap, face soft and concerned. They took a sip of the cold water, feeling it flow through their body, sting their teeth.

"It was just a nightmare." They placed their cup down. 

Phil's arm wrapped around their shoulder. They could almost swear they heard Wilburs voice, the smell, saw the blood... Their palms moved up to their eyes, pushing against them, trying to get the images out of their head. They just came back more graphic.

"I don't think it was just 'a nightmare', Eret." He sounded worried.

They broke down, tears welling up in the corner of their eyes, dripping down their cheeks. Incoherent mumbles, sentences strung together by a loose thread. Warm hands on shoulders and arms wrapped around their back. The two swayed lightly, Phil's shoulder now soaked. He waited until they stopped moving, until their heartbeat slowed, and laid them down to sleep. With a blanket lazily pulled over their shoulders, Eret was content for once. No nightmares or bad dreams to haunt them now, just the soft whistle of the AC and the creak of the bed on the opposite side of the room as the man sat down. 

. . .

"Of course, of course, yeah." He said, taking soft steps around the room and holding the smartphone-like device up to his chin. They blunk their eyes open, looking at the man in the corner. "I just- I don't want to stress him out more, alright? I'll consider it." 

He sounded troubled by something, scared, almost. His voice was quiet as if to not bother them. 

"No- no, I don't- I don't get it. I mean, I do, yeah, I do-" He quickly glanced at them. "Yeah, build lt up from small, but I feel like... You know, it's kind of a delusion to think we're-.. _You're_ gonna get anywhere from _that_ small."

Was he talking to Techno? It seemed most likely. They rolled onto their back, guiding their hand through their tangled hair, looking up at the ceiling. They winced as they felt a knot get stuck between their fingers. 

"I'm not-!" His volume suddenly rose before becoming aware of the fact that they were still in the room. "Don't bring him into-..." His head darted back to them again. "Yeah, sure. I'll get around to it." He mumbled, defeated. He brought his hand down and set the communicator on the table as a small beep emitted from it. 

They sat up on their arm, feeling the suns rays hit them through the window. They could hear someone rummaging through the cabinets in the kitchen, and turned their head to where Phil had been, opening their mouth to speak before noticing he wasn't there. They sighed, moved their legs to hang over the side of the couch, standing up, staggering before making their way to the wall and putting their weight on their arm to guide them. They peeked into the kitchen. 

Phil was looking through a chest frantically, grabbing a potion and reading the label before pocketing it. He noticed them, softly closing the chest. 

"Sorry for the short notice, I've gotta go somewhere. I'll be back around three or four maybe," He said, summoning his sword and slinging it on his back. They wondered what was so important to him he had to take what looked like a dozen of potions and his newly enchanted sword. Apparently, they had made it clear they were disheartened. "don't worry, It's not that bad, I'll be fine." He patted their shoulder as he walked past, a lighthearted smile on his face. Eret couldn't help but notice the sides of their mouth lift as well. 

"Alright. Who were you talking to?" They asked, gaze following as he walked towards the door. 

"Oh. Bad, he wanted to make an offer. I'll let you know what he said in a bit." Bad? Hadn't he fought against them in the previous war? Though, Phil wouldn't know that. He'd only joined an hour before it ended and hadn't bothered to engage in the fighting. 

"Bad?"

"Yeah, wanted you to join the Badlands."

Wanted them to join? They had to consciously stop their mouth from dropping open in shock. "What?" Their smirk shifted from happiness to skepticism. Phil gestured his arm up slightly. 

"You know what I said." He looked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"How'd you get Bad's user tag?"

"That's not something you need to know."

"No, no, Phil, I don't think you understand." He twisted the doorknob. They took steps toward him, hand slipping down from off the wall to their side. "They fought against us in the war. They-" They reached their hand out beside them. "they don't- they don't side with us. They're selfish, they-"

"I know, Eret!" He yelled, meeting their stare. They stepped back, flabbergasted. He instantly seemed to regret what he said, avoiding Eret's eyes and reaching for the door, turning around so his back was facing them. The silence between them burned. They heard a door creak in the hallway. He sighed. "I have to go."

"Phil-" They could hear soft steps getting louder toward the two of them. 

"We're leaving first thing tomorrow. You're giving them a chance." 

They didn't want to keep pushing, he seemed irritated enough already. Poking and prodding wouldn't do any help. 

"What about Niki?"

"What about me?" She asked, yawning, appearing out of almost nowhere. Her arms were wrapped around each other, shivering as if she'd been cold. She looked between the two of them, clueless. "Did I miss something?" 

"I was just leaving. I'll be back around four maybe, foods in the fridge. Just a little issue. We were talking about how we're leaving early morning tomorrow, didn't want to wake you up." Phil said, calmly. He pushed against the screen door, glancing at Eret. "Goodbye."

"Bye."

"Oh." She muttered. "Okay. Have a safe trip!" Her face lit up. Phil smiled, turning around to walk away. Niki closed the door behind him, her persona fading as she looked at them, face stoic. "I'm not stupid, Eret. What happened?"

. . .

She set her elbows on her thighs, clamping one of her hands around her wrist, fingernails digging into her skin. They looked at her hopefully. 

"So you agree with me?"

She sighed, annoyed, standing up and using her hands to cover her face. She looked back at them with an expression that wasn't happy, wasn't agreement. Pity. 

"I'm going to have to side with Phil for this one." 

"What?" 

"Haven't you noticed? What does L'manburg do for us anymore, Eret? We're weak to them." She looked out the window. "We're scum to our own nation. I think we should give him a chance." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry for the late chapter but hey at least its edited well lol  
> phil being a dad. dadza  
> i feel like my writing got better but theres a lot of random filler sentences in there so um yeah  
> i hate this chapter so much but i feel like ive kept yall waiting wayy too long so.. yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> that was spicy holy shit /lh /j  
> hmm i wonder why techno is so interested in his crown.. hmm i wonder why he's so protective of it.. hmmm  
> lmk how u like it !! ill take critique as long as youre nice ab it but yea !! (/gen) also the tags and series name may or may not be foreshadowing. possibly. maybe. i dont know. (/j) im so obsessed with the badlands its insane /hj /pos  
> thanks for sticking through and reading the whole thing !! v nice of you /gen  
> if you know me from school you dont. shut up /j  
> (the plans for the chapters are character, important character memory, character, important character memory, repeat repeat. the main few in this series are techno, tommy, eret, and bad. edit: the important character memory is mainly going to be badly-written fillers if im honest, so expect the real spice in the actual plot-building chapters. posted prob every other day.)


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